Central govt women employees fight for 730-day child care leave

In February 2014, Saphla Rani made news for becoming a mother for the first time at a very late age of 57. Employed as junior manager with RITES (a public sector undertaking under the ministry of railways), she gave birth to a baby boy after undergoing 15 cycles of in-vitro fertilization, a physically and financially taxing fertility procedure.

Three years later, she is now fighting her employer for - first, not sanctioning her Child Care Leave (CCL), which she claims is her Fundamental Right, and second for withholding her due salary when she anyway proceeded on CCL. Last Friday, Saphla says, she received a suspension letter from RITES.

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She claims that despite her repeated applications for sanction of CCL, her employer refused to grant it and also didn't furnish any valid reason for the same. She has now filed a complaint with the National Commission of Women, which has sent a letter to RITES seeking a report on the matter.

When TOI spoke to a senior official in RITES, he said that although RITES comes under the ministry of railways, it is a public sector undertaking and has a different leave structure. "We don't follow central government pay packages. And CCL has not yet been approved by our board of directors," he said.

The 7th Pay commission recommends CCL can be granted to women employees having minor children below the age of 18 years, for a maximum period of 2 years (ie. 730 days) during their entire service, for taking care of up to two children. During this period women will be paid leave salary equal to the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave.

The 7th Pay commission recommends CCL can be granted to women employees having minor children below the age of 18 years, for a maximum period of 2 years (ie. 730 days) during their entire service, for taking care of up to two children.